Child safety seats are designed to protect children in vehicles from the effects of impacts or other sudden changes in motion. Child safety seats, commonly referred to simply as car seats, may be used in a variety of vehicles with a variety of seating configurations. It is important for a child safety seat to securely retain an occupant and limit movement of that occupant, particularly during an impact. Another function of a child safety seat is to reduce the impact forces on an occupant of the seat to reduce the likelihood of injury.
Child safety seats are typically configured with a harness that secures the child within the seat and the seat is securely attached to a fixed location within a vehicle, such as with the international standard for attachment points for child safety seats, ISOFIX or in the U.S., LATCH (Lower Anchors and Tethers for Children) attachments. Proper installation of a child safety seat within a vehicle is necessary to achieve the maximum protection afforded by the seat. Improper installation can lead to increased risk of injury in an impact. One of the most dangerous injuries sustained during an impact, particularly for children, are head injuries. Head excursion, or the distance a head travels from a child safety seat, should be minimized to reduce the potential for serious injury from an impact. Additional injuries may also be sustained during an impact due to high forces exerted upon the body, which also are preferably minimized.